Wrench.



UNITED sTA iEs PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN A. HOLMAN, OF GUADALOUPE, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN A. HoLuAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Guadaloupe, in the county of Santa Bar ham and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a simple, durable and efficientconstruction of wrench that may be used on pipes, nuts, or other work,and which may be easily adjusted and reversed in operation to turn thework in one direction or the other without disengaging the tooltherefrom.

With these and other objects in View as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of the parts that shall be hereinafterfully described and claimed.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved wrench, the handle portionbeing partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewthereof; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the head plates;Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating a modification; and, Fig. 5 is adetail View illustrating the spring tension means between the handleportion and the jaw closing device.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the jaws of myimproved wrench which are shown in the present instance as particularlydesigned for pipe or rod work, although it is manifest that they may bedesigned as well for work on nuts and the like, each of said jaws beingformed on its inner edge with a row of work engaging teeth 2. Each jaw 1is also formed with an oblique slot 3. These slots receive pins or studs4 that are secured in and which connect together the ends of spacedplates 5, which, together constitute the head of the tool. 6 designatesthe handle of the wrench, said handle being of any desired size andshape, and being composed of a bar in the present instance, as clearlyillustrated in the draw- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. February 6, 1908.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Serial No. 414,570.

ing. This handle is rigidly secured at one end between the ends of theplates 5 of the head by screws, rivets, or similar fastening devices.

A jaw. adjusting and closing device 7,

which in the present instance is in the form of a plate with a curvedfront edge is mounted between the jaws 1 and is mounted to movelongitudinally between the plates 5 of the head, so as to project moreor less from the forward end of the head or be retracted therein. Forthis purpose the jaw closing device or plate 7 is formed with alongitudinal slot 8 which accommodates a pin or stud S extending throughand secured in the two plates 5 between the studs or pins 4, as shown.At its rear end, the adjusting device 7 carries a pivot stud or pin 9which extends therethrough and also through apertures formed in the rearends of the jaws 1. This pivot pin 9 is of a length to also extend atboth ends through longitudinally arranged slots 10 formed in therespective plates 5, washers being pref erably mounted on the ends ofthe pivot stud and overlapping the head plates 5- as shown, the saidpivot pin being secured in place by lock nuts or any desired fasteningdevices. As best seen in Fig. 1, each of the head plates 5 is formedwith diverging recesses 11 that are preferably oblique as shown and thatopen inwardly on both sides of the slots 10. The rear end of the jawclosing device 7 is formed withfa nipple or protuberance 12. The forwardend of the handle 6 is formed with a corresponding nipple 1.8 and a coilexpansion spring 14 has its ends slipped over the respective nipples 12and 13 and exerts an outward pressure on the jaw closing device 7.

In order to maintain the pivot pin 9 within the main portion of theslots 10 and to prevent it from being entered into any of 'the laterallyextending recesses 11, except when it is intended that it shall soenter, I provide either or both of the plates 5 with a guiding device15,which, in the present instance is in the form of a longitudinallyextending loop. This loop is laterally yieldable. If desired, the loopitself may be formed of spring metal or material rigidly secured at oneend only to the plate 5 so as to obtain the yielding action, or, asillustrated in Fig. 4, the loop there designated 15 may be hinged at oneend as indicated at 16 and be yieldingly connected at its llu other endto some portion of the head of the 1 tool (as one of the screws orfastening del effect the opening movement of the jaws. In

the practical operation of the device, the jaws in this open positionare applied to the work, and the forward end of the plate 7 is pressedagainst the work, as for instance, a pipe, by the attendant pushingforwardly upon the handle 16. The spring 1 1 will now yield, and theplate 7 will be forced rearwardly in a longitudinal direction within thehead and as a consequence will draw the two jaws 1 towards each otherand cause them to engage the work, this inward movement of the jawsbeing manifestly effected by the provision of the oblique slots 3, therelatively stationary pins 4 in the head and the pivotal connectionbetween the rear ends of the jaws, and the plate 7. After the jaws havethus been caused to engage the work, they may be forced to effectivelygrip the same and rotate it in the desired direction by the operatorpressing the handles 6 in any direction in which it is desired the workshall be turned. This lateral movement of the handle will cause the headto be rocked relative to the jaws and plates 7, and the pivot pin 9 willbe forced into one of the recesses 11, so as to increase the tension ofthe jaws upon the work and rotate the same as desired. It is clear thatthe guide device or loop 15 will yield to permit this rocking action,and as soon as the lateral pressure upon the handle is released, it isobvious that the loop or guiding device 15 will react to again aline theparts and bring the longitudinal slots 10 into registry with the pivotpin 9, thereby permitting the jaws to release sufficiently for a freshgrip upon the work and a repetition of the operation. It is evidentthat, owing to the oblique depression of the recesses 11, this partialrelease of the jaws will be effected even before the pivot stud 9 shallhave reached the main slots 10, so that a fresh grip may be secured onthe work to work the wrench as a tool of the ratchet type, withoutpermitting the pivot pin 9 to be disengaged entirely from the recess inwhich it has been lodged.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, durable andefficient construction of adjustable reversible wrench, the parts ofwhich may be cheaply manufactured and readily assembled and which willbe durable, the jaw closing device or plate 7 practically effecting theautomatic closing of the jaws upon the pressure of the tool against thework preparatory to turning the wrench, and the guiding device that isin the present instance constituted by the loop 15 holding the headproperly in line with the jaws and jaw closing device, until it isdesired to have such stud enter one of the lateral and oblique recesses11 to tightly grip the wrench on the work. Manifestly by providing aplurality of these lateral branch slots or recesses 11 at differentpoints along the head of the tool, longitudinally considered, the jawsmay be adjusted properly and with precision to work of differentdiameters, before the head is tilted by the handle in one direction orthe other to tightly bind the jaws upon the work and to turn the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head, a handleconnected to said head, jaws pivotally and slidingly connected to saidhead, a jaw closing device adapted to engage the work between the jawsand having a longitudinally movable con nection with the head, and aconnection between said aw closing device and jaws and arranged to closethe latter upon the rearward movement of the former relative to thehead.

2. A wrench or the characterdescribed, comprising a head, a handlesecured to the head, aws formed with oblique slots, the head beingprovided with pins mounted in said slots, a jaw closing device mountedbetween said jaws and adapted to contact with the work, and having alongitudinally movable connection with the head, and a connectionbetween said jaw closing device and jaws arranged to swing the lattertowards each other upon the movement of the former rearwardly relativeto the head.

3. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head, a handlesecured to the head, aws pivotally connected to the head, a jaw closingdevice adapted to contact with the work and having a longitudinallymovable connection with the head, a connection between said jaw closingdevice and the jaws arranged to close the former upon the rearwardmovement ,of the latter relative to the head, and a spring arranged topress the jaw closing device forwardly.

at. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head, a handleconnected to said head, jaws pivotally connected to the head, a jawclosing device adapted to engage the work and having a longitudinallymovable connection with the head, the rear end of said device beingprovided with a nipple, the handle being provided with a coactingnipple, and a coil spring connected to said nipples and actingexpansively on the jaw closing device.

A wrench of the character described,

comprising a head, a handle connected to said head, jaws having apivoted and slid ing connection with the head, a aw closing deviceadapted to contact with the work and having a longitudinally movableconnection with the head, and also connected with the jaws, the jawclosing device being arranged to draw said jaws rearwardly and theirouter ends towards each other upon the rear ward movement of the jawclosing device relative to the head, and means for permitting a limitedsimultaneous rearward and lateral movement of the jaws and jaw clos ingdevice relative to the head.

6. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head, a handleconnected to said head, jaws having a sliding and pivotal connectionwith the head, a jaw closing device adapted to contact with the work andhaving a longitudinally movable connection with the head, and a pivotpin connecting the rear ends of the jaws with the jaw closing device,the head being formed with a longitudinal slot receiving said pin, asand for the purpose set forth.

7. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head, a handleconnected to said head, jaws having a sliding and pivotal connectionwith the head, a jaw closing device adapted to contact'with the work andhaving a longitudinally movable connection wth the head, and a pivot pinconnecting the rear ends of the jaws with the jaw closing device, thehead being formed with a longitudinal slot receiving said pin, and witha laterally extending recess communicating with said slot.

8. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head embodyingspaced plates, a handle connected to said head at one end thereof, jawsmounted between said plates at the opposite end thereof and having apivota-l sliding connection therewith, a closing plate mounted betweensaid aws and between said plates and having a longitudinally slidableconnection with the latter, and a pivot pin connecting the rear ends ofsaid jaws with said plate, the plates being pro vided with longitudinalslots and a plurality of registering lateral recesses opening into saidslots, and arranged to accommodate said pin, as and for the purpose setforth.

9. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head, a handleconnected to said head, jaws having pivotal connection with the head, ajaw closing device adapted to contact with the work and having alongitudinally movable and laterally movable connection with the head,and arranged upon. the relative movement in one direction with respectto the head to efiect a closing of the jaws, and a laterally yieldableguide device connected with said aw closing device and adapted to returnthe same for a longitudinal movement only relative to the head.

10. A wrench of the character described, comprising a head, a handleconnected to said head, jaws having a pivotal connection with the head,a jaw closing device adapted to contact with the work and having alongitudinal and laterally movable connection with the head, a pivot pinconnecting the rear ends of said jaws with the aw closing clevice, thehead being provided with a slot and lateral recesses opening into thesaid slot and adapted to accommodate said pin, and a laterally yieldableguide loop secured to said head in longitudinal alinement with said slotand encircling the pivot pin, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN A. HOLMAN. [n s.]

Witnesses It. C. JENSEN, F. W. ABERNATHY.

